Cartier
by nikki.02
Summary: Locked in place by a loved one, Cartier's famous bracelet symbolizes an everlasting bond. Danny gives one to Lindsay as a gesture. DL Spoilers for 306


Cartier

_Danny gives Lindsay a golden Cartier bracelet as a gesture to tell her that he wants their relationship to move forward. Slight spoilers for 306: Open and Shut_

_In the 1970s, New York was the place where Cartier found the inspiration for its famous bracelet._

_Locked in place by a loved one, it symbolizes an everlasting bond._

It was late summer/early fall and the CSI team had just worked a double case with two murders within a block of each other: Sara Jackson and Dan Thomason. Lindsay had worked the Dan Thomason case and Danny with the Sara Jackson one.

"Tired?" Danny lifted his head at the sound of Lindsay's voice. He hadn't seen her for over three days, both of them preoccupied with processing and reconstruction. He'd missed seeing her face, hearing her voice, the simple touches when they brushed past each other in the halls or sarcastic comments that came up when they were working the same case.

Danny pushed back his chair and walked over to where Lindsay was standing at the lab table packing up the remains of the evidence. She let out a small gasp of surprise as she felt Danny's strong arms snake around her waist and pull her back against his strong chest. "Definitely not tired," he breathed against her neck.

Lindsay blushed, "Danny, we're at _work_."

"Yes, but we're working the night shift. No one else is here!"

Reluctantly, she pulled herself out of his embrace and began walking to the door.

"Where're you going, Montana?" Danny called after her.

She smiled, "My apartment. I'm tired and done with my case. _You_, on the other hand, still have to finish examining your vic's clothes." She paused, digging out a key from her purse and tossing it to him. "When you're done, you know where I'll be."

With that, she left Danny speechless and standing in the middle of the lab with a key to her apartment.

"A key?!"

Danny had decided that the victim's clothes could be processed the next day and called Flack for an emergency meeting at Sullivan's.

"She gave you a key? To her apartment?" Flack asked, his mouth gaping in astonishment.

"Yep, a key," Danny replied, sliding it across the table. The expression on his face was grim. "And now I have no idea what to do…"

"You know, most people are thrilled when they get something like this," Flack said, holding the key up. "It's like a gesture."

"A gesture?"

"Yeah, something saying that your relationship is 'going somewhere'. Which means Monroe must really like you," he chuckled. He gave the key back to Danny. "So what are you going to do with it? Give it back?"

He shook his head. "Nah, I like things the way they are, and yeah, I want us…to be something more…" his voice trailed off as he became lost in thought. Suddenly his eyes lit up.

"Hey man, where ya going?" Flack asked as Danny tossed a couple bills on the table and getting up.

"Going to get a gesture."

Danny stood outside Lindsay's apartment with the key he'd been given in one hand and a gift bag in the other. Go in, go in go in, his brain kept telling him. You wanted this, you wanted her. Don't screw this up.

Lindsay's apartment was dark except for a couple candles on the coffee table in the living room.

"Hey you, he heard a low, sultry voice in his ear. "I was wondering if you'd ever get off work."

"Linds, we need to talk," he said, not letting himself get distracted by her dreamy voice. He pulled her towards the couch and they both sat down. Lindsay's mind was racing; oh God, he said those words: 'we need to talk'…every relationship ends with those words.

There were a million things that Danny wanted to say, but when he opened his mouth, no words cam out. He sighed and instead placed a Cartier bag in Lindsay's lap. "Since actions speak louder than words,' he mumbled.

What the hell? Lindsay thought, picking up the package. I've never gotten a break-up gift before. "Look, Danny, if you've got something to say just say it."

He shook his head. "Can't. Just open it."

She gasped as she saw what was in the white box inside the bag. A single gold bracelet with the word L-O-V-E engraved in the side lay inside. Beside it was a strange looking pendant on a gold chain.

Then the words came.

"Okay, in the Sara Jackson case, Sara was wearing a bracelet just like this. Sid said that Cartier created these so that it'd only come off if opened by the special screwdriver, which was kept by the person who gave it. It's supposed to symbolize an everlasting bond," Danny said breathlessly.

Lindsay raised her eyebrows, "And why are you giving me one?"

Danny pulled out her apartment key, "I just wanted to give you something that said we were moving forward," he grinned. "Don't you want to put it on?"

All the thoughts of the end of her and Danny's relationship were instantly abandoned and she was as excited as a girl receiving a special Christmas present. She nodded and extended her right arm.

Without her noticing, tears began dropping onto her lap as Danny locked the bracelet in place, then slipping the gold chain around his own neck.

He then cradled her face in his hands, using his thumbs to brush away her tears. Gazing into her eyes, he let his mouth speak for his heart, "Linds, I waited forever for you and I didn't want to lose you because nothing ever happened in our relationship. I want to spend forever with you."

She sighed contentedly and kissed his fingertips, "Oh Danny…why can't forever start now?"

His fingers slipped from hers and tangled themselves in her silky brown curls. Gripping the back of her head, he brought her face centimeters away from his, "It can," he whispered against her lips. "I love you."

He didn't give her any chance to responds as he pressed his lips urgently to hers. His mouth slowly moved over hers; every now and then letting his tongue collide with hers. Her hands ran through his hair and she whimpered when his teeth moved to nip at the underside of her jaw.

Pulling Danny towards her bedroom, Lindsay realized that she'd already given her heart to him, that she had loved him all along, that she'd never let him take her Cartier bracelet off.


End file.
